The scandal in Bell turned an innocuous movement for home rule into something much worse: a tool for the corrupt and power hungry.
But charter cities existed long before Bell, and will continue long after the accused Bell conspirators are finished serving their time in prison. And with any luck, passing time will dissipate some of the vitriol surrounding the debate will dissipate.
In Rancho Palos Verdes, two camps have become entrenched in the debate over Measure C, the ballot measure to adopt a charter for the city. Opponents say that it will remove the same state law safeguards that would have prevented the Bell Scandal.
Proponents say that comparing Bell to Rancho Palos Verdes is like “comparing the United States to North Korea.”
From the Daily Breeze:
Perhaps still on edge from a contentious local election in November, Rancho Palos Verdes voters have found themselves in the middle of another ballot-box battle – this time, over the seemingly tame topic of a city charter.
On March 8, voters will weigh Measure C, which would transform the 37-year-old municipality from a general law city to a charter city, thereby giving it more control over local affairs and potentially more say over its finances.
Adopting the proposed two-page charter would create a kind of municipal constitution that could put more power in the hands of the City Council instead of Sacramento.
Read the full article here.